1 WEEK IN THE MAKING: My 1st busa ride... and good looking pictures!
Ok, I had not ridden a motorcycle since about 2000 when I owned a Katana 600... and I rode that sucker into the ground. By that, I mean I rode it all the time. Everywhere I went. I was in Los Angeles and it was a great way to save money on gas and to lane share/split and beat traffic.
So this morning I drove 40 miles to the dealer that I recently purchased my new 06 black busa from.... to finally pick it up. I showed up in, yes, shorts and a short-sleeved shirt (only because i was meeting my boss back at my house for a photoshoot taking shots in the burning sun, so i wore what i planned on wearing for the photo job). Yes, my plan was to ride the bike home and leave my car at the dealer to pick up later in the evening because I had to be at work....
So.... Yes. My first Busa ride was in shorts. Stupid? Many of you will say "yes". I understand that. But let's not get into the "gear" or lack thereof I choose to use when I ride, here. It's been commented on already. I thank everyone for their opinions and suggestions, always.
Ok, so I'm ready to go. I strap on my helmet and sit down. I try to remember what it was like riding way back when and I remembered to just let the clutch out and bite, then start giving her throttle. Right at this point is where I got nervous because I'd never ridden something this potent before. C'mon, this is a Busa! NOT a Katana! So I let the clutch out and eased on the throttle... and to my amazement.... this bike felt SO TAME! But I wasn't fooled because I knew somewhere deep down rests the animal! I got onto the 2 lane road and clicked to 2nd, 3rd... then kept it there to just get the "feel". It felt GOOD! This bike is sooooo smooth! On this 2 lane road (before I hit the freeway) I sped up and went to 4th and revved it up and then downshifted to just test and see how it reacted to a high rpm downshift. Well, it was as smooth as a baby's bottom! At this point I felt so relaxed. Any nervous energy I had before hopping on the seat just disappeared! It was at this point I knew I could ride this bike with no problem at all. I was loving it! It was comfortable just like my old Kat was... and then some!!! But... I also knew that beast had the power to tear down the walls....
I downed it to 2nd and took a crappy and awkward approach to get on the on ramp..... taking a slow 90 degree turn is something I'll need to work on again. I handled the turn alright, but I didn't feel great doing it. But... after that slow turn came the real "ride"!!! The long haul down I-20 East to get to Anniston!!!
On the freeway, I really got to play with the gears just to see how this bike was going to treat me. I loved every second of it! I used 5th gear for much of the ride, because there was a lot of construction happening and I actually had to keep it around 60 or 55 for a part of the ride. But when the freeway opened up, I kept the bike at a steady 80 in 6th. Hey, I was in shorts and it was my first ride on a Busa or any bike in 6yrs... so I was being smart. Well, ok... times came when I just had to let a little bit of thunder out. In 6th gear going 80 I let the wrist turn and jacked it up to 120... ducked my head down low and.... was amazed at how smooth the bike felt at that speed!! And... THAT'S A SLOW SPEED FOR THIS BIKE! lol! But, hey, to me doing 120mph was just me getting back into the groove again! I took the bike on various 5th and 6th gear bursts while passing cars, etc.... just to get the feel for this bike... diggin' every second and smiling like an Ethiopian at a food drop the entire time!!!
I noticed that, doing 55mph behind a Semi, the bike would wobble a bit in the wind(also could be because this is a new bike with new tires).... but doing 90+ the bike was as straight as an arrow!!!!! AMAZING!!!! It really is more stable at higher speeds!
What impresses me even more about this bike is that it's so easy to ride/handle from a standstill (at stop lights). I do NOT see how anyone could ever stall this bike out in 1st!!! It has a long reach before it starts to cough and sputter. Maybe I just have good wrist control, I don't know, but the bike NEVER rocketted on me in 1st. It's very tame, as some people here say, if you allow it to be. I never just jacked on the gas in 1st, though... and I'm sure that's where the real BEAST comes out! Still, I darted off the line and left all the other "cars" behind me without even thinking about it or trying. Maybe I'm being modest about my own riding ability and think I'm worst than I really am, but I seriously think that anyone who's ever ridden any street bike could ride the busa with little or no problem at all. The bike is THAT smooth!!!
Gear notes (glitches): My new bike had NO problem going into 1st gear. I have heard that some people have experienced trouble with that. But... I did notice that my bike would go into neutral when going from 5th to 6th IF I didn't SHIFT LIKE I MEAN IT.... so, I learned to shift it hard from 5 to 6. I think I'll be shifting hard for each gear change, just to be sure. But, if you miss and go to N... the bike has no trouble... no bucking if you downshift quickly or make a shift error... it handles it all! Suzuki knows what they're doing! Did I say this bike is "smooth"? LOL! It IS! Smooth is the word!
Comfort: I rode 40 miles this morning and felt great doing it! Sure, that's not a lot... but I felt good in the position (my frame/bike) I had going on. When you ride normally, you're not made to lean too far forward, which makes for a more comfy and relaxed ride. I think a lot of people see a sport bike and think they have to ride it leaning forward all the time. That's not true with the busa... you can ride it in a very relaxed/upright posture if you want. If you are gonna tackle the high speeds/twisties, etc... well... then you gotta go into "ride" mode! But for the normal fella who wants to "ride" this bike... it can be done with some comfort.
Ease of use: The bike gets 5 of 5 stars! So easy to ride! You'd never guess this was the fastest bike on Earth unless someone told you so.... or if you keep turning your wrist more and more, I suppose!!! It just feels great. Nice controls. But, yeah, the speedometer is a bit hard to read because of the windscreen... that's true. Still, if you "try" you can see your speed with no problem.
SPEED/POWER:
Point: The bike IS tame if you want it to be...and it will NOT take off like a rocket IF you actually can control your right hand.
Point: The bike has amazing power in high gears and can take off without downshifting.... it explodes! So for normal riders, you can keep it in a high gear on the freeway and still blast by ANY other vehicle without even changing gears. Just "turn" the wrist... and let the busa do the walking... EXAMPLE: If you're doing 70 in 6th and need to just "launch"... you don't need to shift... just turn the wrist and the busa will send you flying by anything else on the road.... fast!!!
Ok, if you're reading this post and considering getting the busa... GET IT NOW!
Can you handle it? If you can actually ride a motorcycle... yeah!
Is it everything is cracked up to be? F(*&KIN' A RIGHT IT IS!!!!
This bike is a dream... a true rocket propelled wonder!!! I love it! It can do it all. It's tame, fast, you name it.... this thing can do it!!!!
I give it 5/5 stars + 5
PS: I want to thank everyone out there who gave me REAL tips and pointers about the bike! You all truly did help me ride this for the first time today... I listened to what you had to say. You were right! The bike was tame if I had proper wrist control of the throttle... and luckily I do have that! I also have maturity when it comes to riding, even though I admit to not "gearing up" in full attire like I probably should. But, hey, that's just me. Thanks again!
Now here are some new night shots of my new 'ride'! (the f--king flash sure brings out the dust!!!):
I hope I didn't make too many typos.... on my 6th beer now (16oz each) and going on 3hrs sleep. And every time I go to get a beer, I just HAVE to step out and look at the bike and go "f-9k yeah, that's my bike now muthaf*kka!!!!!".....
Ok, I had not ridden a motorcycle since about 2000 when I owned a Katana 600... and I rode that sucker into the ground. By that, I mean I rode it all the time. Everywhere I went. I was in Los Angeles and it was a great way to save money on gas and to lane share/split and beat traffic.
So this morning I drove 40 miles to the dealer that I recently purchased my new 06 black busa from.... to finally pick it up. I showed up in, yes, shorts and a short-sleeved shirt (only because i was meeting my boss back at my house for a photoshoot taking shots in the burning sun, so i wore what i planned on wearing for the photo job). Yes, my plan was to ride the bike home and leave my car at the dealer to pick up later in the evening because I had to be at work....
So.... Yes. My first Busa ride was in shorts. Stupid? Many of you will say "yes". I understand that. But let's not get into the "gear" or lack thereof I choose to use when I ride, here. It's been commented on already. I thank everyone for their opinions and suggestions, always.
Ok, so I'm ready to go. I strap on my helmet and sit down. I try to remember what it was like riding way back when and I remembered to just let the clutch out and bite, then start giving her throttle. Right at this point is where I got nervous because I'd never ridden something this potent before. C'mon, this is a Busa! NOT a Katana! So I let the clutch out and eased on the throttle... and to my amazement.... this bike felt SO TAME! But I wasn't fooled because I knew somewhere deep down rests the animal! I got onto the 2 lane road and clicked to 2nd, 3rd... then kept it there to just get the "feel". It felt GOOD! This bike is sooooo smooth! On this 2 lane road (before I hit the freeway) I sped up and went to 4th and revved it up and then downshifted to just test and see how it reacted to a high rpm downshift. Well, it was as smooth as a baby's bottom! At this point I felt so relaxed. Any nervous energy I had before hopping on the seat just disappeared! It was at this point I knew I could ride this bike with no problem at all. I was loving it! It was comfortable just like my old Kat was... and then some!!! But... I also knew that beast had the power to tear down the walls....
I downed it to 2nd and took a crappy and awkward approach to get on the on ramp..... taking a slow 90 degree turn is something I'll need to work on again. I handled the turn alright, but I didn't feel great doing it. But... after that slow turn came the real "ride"!!! The long haul down I-20 East to get to Anniston!!!
On the freeway, I really got to play with the gears just to see how this bike was going to treat me. I loved every second of it! I used 5th gear for much of the ride, because there was a lot of construction happening and I actually had to keep it around 60 or 55 for a part of the ride. But when the freeway opened up, I kept the bike at a steady 80 in 6th. Hey, I was in shorts and it was my first ride on a Busa or any bike in 6yrs... so I was being smart. Well, ok... times came when I just had to let a little bit of thunder out. In 6th gear going 80 I let the wrist turn and jacked it up to 120... ducked my head down low and.... was amazed at how smooth the bike felt at that speed!! And... THAT'S A SLOW SPEED FOR THIS BIKE! lol! But, hey, to me doing 120mph was just me getting back into the groove again! I took the bike on various 5th and 6th gear bursts while passing cars, etc.... just to get the feel for this bike... diggin' every second and smiling like an Ethiopian at a food drop the entire time!!!
I noticed that, doing 55mph behind a Semi, the bike would wobble a bit in the wind(also could be because this is a new bike with new tires).... but doing 90+ the bike was as straight as an arrow!!!!! AMAZING!!!! It really is more stable at higher speeds!
What impresses me even more about this bike is that it's so easy to ride/handle from a standstill (at stop lights). I do NOT see how anyone could ever stall this bike out in 1st!!! It has a long reach before it starts to cough and sputter. Maybe I just have good wrist control, I don't know, but the bike NEVER rocketted on me in 1st. It's very tame, as some people here say, if you allow it to be. I never just jacked on the gas in 1st, though... and I'm sure that's where the real BEAST comes out! Still, I darted off the line and left all the other "cars" behind me without even thinking about it or trying. Maybe I'm being modest about my own riding ability and think I'm worst than I really am, but I seriously think that anyone who's ever ridden any street bike could ride the busa with little or no problem at all. The bike is THAT smooth!!!
Gear notes (glitches): My new bike had NO problem going into 1st gear. I have heard that some people have experienced trouble with that. But... I did notice that my bike would go into neutral when going from 5th to 6th IF I didn't SHIFT LIKE I MEAN IT.... so, I learned to shift it hard from 5 to 6. I think I'll be shifting hard for each gear change, just to be sure. But, if you miss and go to N... the bike has no trouble... no bucking if you downshift quickly or make a shift error... it handles it all! Suzuki knows what they're doing! Did I say this bike is "smooth"? LOL! It IS! Smooth is the word!
Comfort: I rode 40 miles this morning and felt great doing it! Sure, that's not a lot... but I felt good in the position (my frame/bike) I had going on. When you ride normally, you're not made to lean too far forward, which makes for a more comfy and relaxed ride. I think a lot of people see a sport bike and think they have to ride it leaning forward all the time. That's not true with the busa... you can ride it in a very relaxed/upright posture if you want. If you are gonna tackle the high speeds/twisties, etc... well... then you gotta go into "ride" mode! But for the normal fella who wants to "ride" this bike... it can be done with some comfort.
Ease of use: The bike gets 5 of 5 stars! So easy to ride! You'd never guess this was the fastest bike on Earth unless someone told you so.... or if you keep turning your wrist more and more, I suppose!!! It just feels great. Nice controls. But, yeah, the speedometer is a bit hard to read because of the windscreen... that's true. Still, if you "try" you can see your speed with no problem.
SPEED/POWER:
Point: The bike IS tame if you want it to be...and it will NOT take off like a rocket IF you actually can control your right hand.
Point: The bike has amazing power in high gears and can take off without downshifting.... it explodes! So for normal riders, you can keep it in a high gear on the freeway and still blast by ANY other vehicle without even changing gears. Just "turn" the wrist... and let the busa do the walking... EXAMPLE: If you're doing 70 in 6th and need to just "launch"... you don't need to shift... just turn the wrist and the busa will send you flying by anything else on the road.... fast!!!
Ok, if you're reading this post and considering getting the busa... GET IT NOW!
Can you handle it? If you can actually ride a motorcycle... yeah!
Is it everything is cracked up to be? F(*&KIN' A RIGHT IT IS!!!!
This bike is a dream... a true rocket propelled wonder!!! I love it! It can do it all. It's tame, fast, you name it.... this thing can do it!!!!
I give it 5/5 stars + 5
PS: I want to thank everyone out there who gave me REAL tips and pointers about the bike! You all truly did help me ride this for the first time today... I listened to what you had to say. You were right! The bike was tame if I had proper wrist control of the throttle... and luckily I do have that! I also have maturity when it comes to riding, even though I admit to not "gearing up" in full attire like I probably should. But, hey, that's just me. Thanks again!
Now here are some new night shots of my new 'ride'! (the f--king flash sure brings out the dust!!!):
I hope I didn't make too many typos.... on my 6th beer now (16oz each) and going on 3hrs sleep. And every time I go to get a beer, I just HAVE to step out and look at the bike and go "f-9k yeah, that's my bike now muthaf*kka!!!!!".....
